


A Cry for Help

by crescendmoon



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, But they're too stubborn to admit it, Eventual Smut, F/M, Genji loves his brother a lot, M/M, McCree and Hanzo cannot spit it out, McCree is stubborn, Minor background pairings, Mutual pining between Soldier:76 and Reaper, Past relationship between Jack and Gabriel, Reaper hates everyone but what else is new, Sombra loves to mess with Reaper bc she thinks they're bros, Suicidal thoughts on Hanzo's part, Zenyatta is the only voice of reason
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-10-04 02:37:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10265717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescendmoon/pseuds/crescendmoon
Summary: Hanzo reunites with Genji under awful circumstances, and now no one besides his brother trusts him; least of all Jesse McCree.Meanwhile, Soldier: 76 had his suspicions on who Reaper truly was, and his visit to Egypt confirmed it. Now he's hellbent on making things right between them, even if Reaper has no desire for reconciliation...or so he believes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I decided that I will post the first chapter before finishing my other fic, "Sanctuary". Once again, angst will most likely be present because one, I like these idiots to work for their happy ending, and two...you can't have Reaper76 without it.  
> This fic takes place in the canon-verse, and I will do my best to keep it as close to canon as possible (although there will probably be some deviations).  
> I hope you all like it! Let me know what you think, any comments and/or advice are greatly appreciated!

An assassin does what they must, and Hanzo Shimada was no different. He had worked countless jobs killing targets for his clients, most of the time without even asking who his target was. He had also been hunted countless times, by assassins sent by whatever remained of the Shimada Clan after their downfall from power. One part of him was glad to see his former home fall, while the other part felt remorse over leaving it all behind. But that was in the past; his destiny of being the heir began when he was born, and ended when he plunged his sword into his brother’s body. Now he was living on the run, alone…cold…and calculating.

His newest job sent him all the way to New Mexico. His clients were the remnants of the Deadlock Gang. He remembered hearing that name a long time ago, back when he was but a teenager. The Shimada Clan was in business with them for a while before Deadlock messed up on a job and most of them got thrown in jail. Now they were contacting him for a job…they did know that he was no longer in contact with the Shimada Clan, right? No matter…he will still do whatever job they wanted quick and efficiently.

The job was simple. They wished for him to assassinate a member of their team who had betrayed them. Someone by the name of ‘Jesse McCree’; can’t miss him, apparently, considered his manner of dress. Something about never going anywhere without a cowboy hat. They said if he succeeded in killing him, they would give him the amount of money that McCree had on his bounty: $60,000,000. The mere mention of the number alone almost gave Hanzo a heart attack, which is why there was no way he could have refused.

Which is how he ended up in Gibraltar, some tiny little island in the Mediterranean. He found out through recon that there was a base known as Watchpoint: Gibraltar, that was once used as a base of operations for some government organization known as Overwatch. That name sounded familiar and tugged at his memories. He recalled hearing about an organization full of ‘heroes’ who protected civilians during the Omnic Crisis, but was shut down after rumors of misconduct and self-destruction from the inside. That was a while ago, so why were there still people maintaining this place that was supposed to be abandoned?

He stood on a ledge high above ground level, observing anyone who had come and gone. This had been his routine for the past few days; he had to make sure this job went off without a hitch, which meant memorizing every routine…including one Jesse McCree. Deadlock was right, the man was perhaps the most recognizable person to walk out of the base. He still had that ridiculous cowboy hat, and it was accompanied by a red serape and cowboy boots. The man also had a mechanical left arm, and Hanzo almost wanted to know how he had come to lose his real one.

He also noticed a young woman zipping through the area at the blink of an eye, and…was that a gorilla? Whoever these people were, they were most certainly a strange bunch. Those three were the only people he saw on a regular basis, with another woman—blonde and slender with an elegant walk—showing herself perhaps once every couple of days. But he had noticed one thing about his target’s schedule: Every morning, before anyone else would wake up, the cowboy would venture out to some makeshift shooting range in a patch of trees just outside the watchpoint and practice. He would stay there for at least an hour before returning to the others. Hanzo decided that this would be the only window of time he would be able to go in for the kill without any unwanted distractions.

And so, he waited. It was already close to six in the morning, meaning that any second now, the cowboy would be within his line of sight. As if on cue, he could hear some whistling followed by the clanking of the man’s boots. Were those spurs? Hanzo couldn’t help but roll his eyes at that. But he was concentrated on his target, and readied his Storm Bow, pulling back on the string and watched as his target pulled out a huge revolver and began firing at each paper target with quick precision. Hanzo was almost impressed at how the man didn’t even seem to aim as he hit the bullseye each and every time. Due to the nature of a bow, it naturally took Hanzo a little longer to aim, but he could shoot down his targets just as quick.

He breathed it, then let it out slowly as he aimed at the man’s head. And then, he let the string go, sending the arrow flying in silence.

Jesse McCree heard something whistling through the trees and dodged just in time for the arrow to go through his right shoulder, sending a shockwave of pain throughout his entire body.

Hanzo cursed to himself and readied another arrow, trying and failing to hit his mark. Now that the man was aware that he was being targeted, his job just got a lot more difficult.

Jesse did his best to run, but an arrow in his shoulder made it harder to move, and it was his shooting arm too. Thank god he always brought his comm with him.

“McCree to base! I’ve been attacked by some assassin!”

A voice through the other end.

“Are you alright, Love?! We’re heading your way!”

Jesse let out a hollow laugh. “Well Darlin’, other than the arrow stickin’ out of my shoulder, I’m just peachy.”

“McCree, this is Winston. Athena locked onto your coordinates but try to get back to base as quickly as possible. Angela is ahead of us and is making her way to you as we speak.”

Well that made him feel just a little bit better. Now he knew that he had a bounty on his head, both during and well after his Deadlock years, but he never thought someone would actively hunt him out while he was at Gibraltar. Either this person was stupid as all hell, or he had a death wish…hell, maybe they never even heard of Overwatch, which was highly unlikely given how popular they were back in their prime. But either way, the one thing he knew was that someone was trying to kill him.

“I’m almost to ya, Love! Do you know if it’s Talon?”

“Is it that man in the mask?”

Jesse looked back to see if anyone was behind him. No one in sight. “Negative. It ain’t Talon’s style to lie in wait and pick us off one by one. They like doin’ things flashy, and this is too precise and calculatin’. I think I’m this person’s only target…besides, I don’t know a single person in Talon that would ever use a bow and arrow.

A new voice came up through the comm.

“A…bow and arrow?”

Jesse’s eyes lit up. “Whoa, that you, Genji? Went did you come back?”

Genji sighed. “Focus, Jesse. You said this person trying to kill you was using a bow and arrow. Do you know what the arrows look like?”

He didn’t even have a chance to answer when another arrow flew right by his face, and it scattered into a bunch of smaller arrows.

“Holy shit!” Jesse did his best to dodge every one of them. “They just shot one arrow at me, but it’s like it multiplied!”

Genji remained silent for a moment. “Jesse, I’m heading out your way as well. Please be safe, this person…he’s trained to kill.”

“You say that as if you know this person.” Jesse commented. Silence on the other end once more, and this time it stayed that way.

“Whoa, there you are!”

Jesse looked to his left and saw Tracer damn near zipping right past him. “Damn Lena, am I glad to see ya.”

Tracer gave him a thumbs up and looked up towards the trees. “See any sign of him?”

Jesse shook his head. “I ain’t got a clue—“

The sound of roaring brought their attention high above them. Tracer smiled. “Sounds like Winston found him!”

As if on cue, Winston came barreling down into the trees, and underneath him was a man. Said man just barely managed to dodge the gorilla’s huge form, but the electric currents from Winston’s weapon seemed to be doing the trick. A bow and arrow was definitely not the best weapon when going up against Winston.

Angela flew in from above. “Jesse!” She immediately began to look at the wound. “We need to get you to the medic bay as soon as possible. I can’t remove this here without the risk of you losing too much blood.”

“Hold up on that, Angela.” Jesse glared at the man that was now under the careful eye of Winston and Tracer. “I wanna get a good look at him.”

Jesse walked up to his would-be assassin and gave him a once-over. “You come to collect the bounty on my head or somethin’? Or are ya huntin’ down all of us one by one?”

The man remained silent, but scoffed in Jesse’s direction.

“Not much of a talker, I see.” Jesse reached for Peacekeeper.

“I believe we should interrogate and imprison him for the time being. At least until we know what to do with him.” Winston started. Tracer agreed, still glaring at the man before her.

Jesse still had Peacekeeper trained directly between Hanzo’s eyes. “Give me a reason not to shoot ya right here.”

Hanzo’s composure was deathly calm, and that sent shivers down Jesse’s spine. “If you wish to kill me, then stop wasting time and do it.”

What the hell? Jesse had his gun pointed directly at him but not even so much of a flinch! He was about to fulfill the assassin’s wishes, when someone dashed right in-between them.

“Don’t do anything drastic, Jesse.” Genji had his wakizashi in front of his body.

Just about everyone was surprised by Genji’s appearance.

“Why the fuck are you protectin’ him, Genji?!” Jesse yelled. Tracer and Winston stared in mild shock, but Angela’s eyes were just trained on the assassin. She noticed that he too, looked shocked.

The assassin crossed his arms. “You always were a fool, Genji. Never show your back to an enemy; that’s the perfect way get yourself killed.”

Everyone’s eyes widened.

Genji turned to face him. “You are not my enemy, Hanzo.”

Hanzo? Was that this assassin’s name? Jesse lowered his Peacekeeper only slightly.

“Do you know this man, Genji?” Winston asked.

Genji nodded. “…He is my brother.”

A wave of chilling emotions circulated through the group. It was no secret how Genji came to join Overwatch in the past…as well as how he attained his mechanical body in the first place. This man…this monster before them…was the one who did that. Jesse was only seeing red at the realization that this person before him nearly killed his best friend. And what’s worse, it was Genji’s own _brother._

“You son of a bitch…” With his mechanical arm, Jesse went right past Genji and punched Hanzo as hard as he could in the face, causing the other man to fall to the ground. “What the fuck? How could you do that to your own brother?!”

“Jesse, stop!” Genji tried to calm his friend down, but it did little.

Hanzo wiped the small amount of blood that was trickling from his lip. “I did what I had to do. He was dishonoring the clan, and so I had to kill him. But it looks like that I had failed in that, as well.” _Just like how I failed at everything else._

No one could see Genji’s face, but his voice sent the message loud and clear. “Jesse, I apologize but I will not let you harm my brother. Lower your gun, or I will make you.”

“Genji…?” Tracer tried to step forward, but Angela stopped her and shook her head.

Genji knelt down next to his brother and tried to help him up. Hanzo pushed his hand away.

“I do not need your pity.” Hanzo sneered.

Genji sighed. “…Have you given thought to what I told you? Back in Hanamura?”

Hanzo didn’t need to remember. He had done everything he could to forget that that meeting between them had ever even happened. He was better off knowing that Genji was dead, and now that he knew that Genji was alive, it just sent his mind scattered.

Genji continued. “I know I didn’t tell you this before, but…after you almost killed me, I was found by Overwatch. Angela—“ Genji gestured towards the blonde woman taking care of the cowboy. “—She saved me and brought me into their group. They treated me like family, more that anyone in the Shimada Clan ever has, but I was too angry at myself and who I had become to see it.” Genji hesitated for a moment, before pulling Hanzo into a hug. Hanzo’s body stiffened at the contact. “I know it’s been hard for you to accept yourself…but I would be most grateful if you could join me. I…I want us to be brothers again, like how we used to be. Before…everything happened.”

Winston, Lena, and Angela stared at each other with varying degrees of concern. Jesse looked downright livid.

“Now hold up there, Genji. What are you implyin’?”

“You know exactly what I am implying, Jesse.” Genji let go of Hanzo. “I have forgiven him, just as I have forgiven myself. I…I want to help him, and I want to repair the relationship we once had.”

Hanzo glared at Genji. “You know as well as I do that our relationship can never change. How can you forgive me, knowing what I did to you?”

Genji placed a hand on Hanzo’s shoulder. “I wasn’t lying when I told you that there’s hope for you. I would like to at least try to be brothers again. I miss you, Hanzo.”

Hanzo fell silent and just looked at the ground. “…You are an even bigger fool than I took you for.”

Genji smiled beneath his mask and looked towards the group. “I know that you had met him under the worst circumstances, but…I would like for him to join us. As an…unofficial member, if you will.”

Jesse was having none of it. “Like hell I’m gonna let the person who tried to kill me AND you into this place!”

Winston sighed. “Are you sure this is what you want, Genji?”

Genji nodded. “I have never asked for anything more until now.”

Winston looked at Hanzo, who remained silent. “Considering the circumstances, he will be on strict watch until he has proven to us that he will not be a threat. But in the meantime, he will stay in the room next to yours. I’m assuming you would like to be the one to watch over him?”

Genji just about lit up. “Yes, of course. Thank you.”

Jesse hated this. Why was Genji being so accepting of this man?! Sure they were once brothers, but his so-called _brother_ almost killed him! He remembered seeing Genji in so much pain the first few weeks he came to them, still trying to grow accustomed to the mechanical body, and how much he loathed himself afterward. It hurt him so much to see his best friend like that, and now he was just going to let his murderer stay with them?!

“…I don’t like this one bit.” Jesse bit out. “I’m goin’ to the medic bay to get _his_ fuckin’ arrow removed. Don’t think that I have accepted any of this.” Jesse left them to head back to base, with Angela close behind.

Lena spoke up. “So your Genji’s…older brother? Why were you hunting down Jesse?”

Hanzo looked at her. “…I am an assassin. I was contracted by some people in the Deadlock Gang to kill someone named Jesse McCree. By the tone of their voices, I assumed it was out of a personal vendetta against the man.”

Genji seemed surprised. “Deadlock? I thought Blackwatch dealt with them years ago.”

Winston sighed. “Their numbers were far too large to completely get rid of them. More than half are still in prison, while a few others laid low. I’m assuming they wanted to kill Jesse because to them, him joining Blackwatch and letting his fellow gang members go to prison was seen as a betrayal.”

Genji turned to Hanzo. “I’m sure that he will forgive you over time, just like I have. You…you don’t have to burden yourself with this pain alone anymore, Brother.”

Hanzo stared back at Genji. “…My _burden_ is currently standing in front of me, with a body that is not human.”

_He did this to him. He didn’t deserve to stay alive after all that he has done. He had killed his own brother because of his duty to his clan, and had made him suffer. He should have been the one to die. He was beyond redemption._

Genji let out a light chuckle. “Come, I will show you where you will be staying…I’ll even give you a tour of the base.”

Hanzo reluctantly followed his brother as they left. Lena and Winston were not too far behind, but were still just out of earshot to be heard.

“I’m worried about this whole thing, Winston.” Lena frowned. “I get that Genji wants to help his brother, but…the only reason his brother even showed up was to kill Jesse. And from the sound of things, they still aren’t on good terms.”

Winston pushed up his glasses. “We need to watch out for them, then. I will not tolerate betrayal among our ranks…I have already seen what that does to someone once before, and it will not happen again.” Winston recalled with an expression of pain.

“I’m sure we can ask Athena to watch over them, at least whenever we can’t do so ourselves.”

Winston shook his head. “That is an invasion of privacy, and I would not like to do that unless we have reason to believe something is amiss.”

Lena sighed. “I just hope Genji knows what he’s doing. Reuniting with his brother must be hard on him, too. But I get that family is important to him.” She stared on ahead. “When is everyone else arriving?”

Winston began to think. “The only one besides all of you who immediately accepted the recall was Reinhardt…Mei and Ana Amari are missing, and Torbjörn had conflicting thoughts about rejoining…” And no one needed to be reminded of what had occurred between Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes and the outcome of their feud. “I did however find some potential recruits, and a few of them immediately showed interest and will be arriving within the week. D.Va, a professional gamer and mekka pilot from South Korea, and Lucio, a freedom fighter from Brazil. I tried contacting Ana’s daughter, Pharah, but she stated that as much as she would love to join us, she has responsibilities in Egypt that cannot be ignored. She did however say that she will lend us a hand whenever we need it.”

“Wow, that’s quite a lot of people!” Lena beamed. “I’m really glad that we are finally getting everyone back together, and even with some new people!”

Winston got very serious. “Remember, Lena. What we are doing right now…this is considered breaking the law. The Petras Act is still in effect, and if word gets out that Overwatch sent out a recall, the situation can get dire very quickly. We must make sure that this entire situation remains a secret.”

Lena giggled. “Got it, Love. So what shall our first plan of action be?”

“First, we need to keep an eye on Genji’s brother.” Winston fixed his glasses once more. “Genji also informed me that he knows of a great recruit and practically begged me to let him join. Apparently he is an omnic originally from the Shambali Monastery in Nepal, but has since become an adventurer. Genji knows of his current whereabouts and would like for us to meet him, so I suppose that shall be our next step.”

“Oooh, an omnic!” Lena shrieked. “I’m so excited to meet him! Sounds like a plan, Winston!”

Winston chuckled, and they raced ahead to catch up to Genji and Hanzo.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group tracks down Zenyatta, and conflict arises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly have no idea why it was so difficult to write this chapter...I blame it on daylight savings time messing up my schedule. I almost fell asleep in one of my classes this past week @_@

Like most nights, Hanzo couldn’t completely fall asleep. He would lie in bed facing either the ceiling or the wall but his mind would continue to race and be on guard. He was no stranger to the feeling of being watched, especially since most of the time it turned out to be true. And so, he made it a second instinct to keep an eye out during all hours.

It was probably unhealthy, sleeping as little as Hanzo did, but if he was dead, then he supposed that his health no longer mattered at that point.

The room Genji showed him to was small, just big enough for one or two people. There was a bed with a heavy blanket in the corner, a bathroom with all the necessities, a nightstand with a lamp, a desk with a chair, and a small closet. It was already more than what Hanzo was used to since his life of wandering.

Sleeping in a place surrounded by unfamiliar people really put Hanzo on edge. He couldn’t even close his eyes without immediately being jolted awake by the faint sound of laughing or banging, and he knew that he shouldn’t have grabbed his bow as a means of protection, but it was like a reflex at this point.

The events that occurred in the early hours of the day still haunted him. He had failed an assassination…and now he was staying in the same place as his target. He was staying in the same place as his _brother_. Just like that, _two_ of his failed attempts at assassinations were close by, and he felt anxious. Of course, he never wished to harm his brother…but it still stood that he had to maintain his duty to his clan and get rid of the ‘nuisance’, as his clan elders called Genji. And upon holding onto that duty, he had no choice but to do what they wished.

Every single day, he grieved for his dead brother. He left the clan because of what he did. He risked his life the same day every year to honor him with incense offerings. And for what? To find out that his brother was actually _alive_ and part of some sort of hero group. Everything that he had sacrificed amounted to nothing; all those years of grieving and honoring Genji were meaningless.

It was probably close to midnight when there was a knock at his door. Hanzo glared at it, wondering who in the world would possibly be knocking on his door…not that it took a genius to figure it out. He only knew one person here, and that one person was also the only one who trusted him for some outlandish reason. He sighed and got up to answer.

“Brother. I just wanted to see how you were doing. I know that you used to have trouble sleeping at this time of night when we were younger…” Genji held out some cups. “I brought some green tea…if I may.”

Hanzo huffed, but stepped aside to allow his brother entrance. He probably wasn’t going to get any sleep anyways, so might as well have a distraction.

Genji sat down on the floor and Hanzo across from him as Genji poured both of them some tea. “How are you feeling, Brother? I am aware that our reunion was rough.”

Hanzo grumbled as he took a sip of tea. “I cannot say that I am not used to being despised, so I can manage.”

Genji tilted his head and stared at the tea in his hand. “…I apologize…I will need to take off my mask in order to drink this—“

“Don’t.”

Genji’s body stiffened. “...You’ve seen my face before. Back in Hanamura.”

“I do not care.” He could not bear to see that face again. Not after what he’d done. Not after seeing all of those scars. “If you cannot do as I say, then leave.”

Genji sighed and placed his cup down. Guess he would not be joining his brother in drinking after all.

As Hanzo kept most of his attention on finishing up his tea, Genji silently observed his brother and how much had changed since…all of _that_ happened. Sitting in front of him was drastically different from when they faced off against each other after reuniting in Hanamura, and this time he was able to see the finer details. It was obvious that Hanzo had decided to grow a short beard and mustache…and his hair was beginning to turn gray at the sides. There were also bags under Hanzo’s eyes, and that prompted Genji to believe that his brother still had trouble sleeping. Was that amount of lack of sleep even healthy? Genji shook his head; of course it wasn’t.

“So why are you _really_ here?” Hanzo eyed his brother with suspicion. “Surely you did not come to my room just to have a _friendly_ midnight chat.”

“Is it so unusual for me to make sure my older brother feels welcomed?” Genji tilted his head slightly.

Hanzo didn’t believe him. “Even as a teenager, you always had ulterior motives. Like the time you actually bothered to show up to archery training for once just so I can cover for you so you could go to that filthy arcade.” He glared at his brother. “Or the time you cooked me my favorite dinner meal right before asking me to persuade our father that you were studying on your own time so excess hours of tutoring weren’t necessary.” He crossed his arms. “And let’s not forget about the time you—“

Genji couldn’t help but chuckle. “I am surprised that you actually remembered all of that.”

“Believe me, I have tried to forget. But the human mind has a way of making us remember all of the annoyances in our lives.” Hanzo took another sip. It was a little too bitter for his taste, but it certainly did the job of relaxing him, if only by a slight amount.

“Well…there is another reason why I came here, as you said.” Genji looked to the side. “I would like you to go on the next mission with us.”

Hanzo scoffed. “And why would I do that? Last I recalled, no one here likes me. I tried to kill one of your colleagues.”

“I understand, but I think this mission will do you some good.” Genji persisted. “It involves picking up my master in Oasis.”

That got Hanzo’s attention. “…Master?”

Genji nodded. “After I left Overwatch, I was so beside myself with anger that was mostly directed at myself. I had no idea who I was or what I had become. Could I even be considered human anymore, with this body?”

Hanzo bit his lip. Genji continued. “My adventures led me to a wanderer...an omnic monk named Zenyatta. He taught me the value of my life and to find peace.”

“Your master is an _omnic_?”

Genji glared behind his mask. “Omnic or not, he is still my master. Without him and his teachings, I would have been lost. There is nothing wrong with omnics, brother. They too, only wish for peace and stability just as humans do.” He sighed. “I think he can help you, too. Finding peace, I mean.”

“I do not need to find peace.” Hanzo growled.

“You cannot keep doing this to yourself, Hanzo.” Genji pleaded. “Nothing good will come out of living your life carrying your burdens alone. Let us help you. Let _me_ help you.” Genji attempted to place a hand on Hanzo’s shoulder, but it was smacked away.

Hanzo stood up. “If you are done here, then leave.”

Genji stared up at his brother for a moment, before standing up as well. “…At least think about this mission for me, Brother. I will visit you in the morning to hear your answer.” And he shut the door behind him, leaving Hanzo alone.

He didn’t understand why his brother wished to help him so much. He lied back down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. Even if he had no intentions of finding peace within himself, he did wish to get some fresh air and a change of scenery. Maybe this mission will do him so good.

.

.

.

The others were gathered in front of their aircraft, waiting to be briefed on their next mission. Jesse had his arms crossed and leaning against the side of a nearby wall, chatting with Lena when Genji came walking into the hangar. With _him_. Jesse all but growled in their direction. No way in hell was that man going with them on this mission. His shoulder still felt sore from the previous day!

“I wish to bring Hanzo along for this mission.” Genji explained. “I wish for things to be civil, if that isn’t too much to ask for.” Genji glanced in Jesse’s direction for a split second.

Jesse scowled. “This mission ain’t gonna go well, I reckon. He’s gonna get us all killed, if he ain’t the one doin’ the killin’.”

Lena sighed. “Cheer up, Jesse. Regardless of what he did in the past, Genji still loves his brother. People can change…look at you, for example.”

“I had to choose between Blackwatch or bein’ thrown in jail.” Jesse raised an eyebrow. “I was forced to change, and frankly I don’t regret it. But _he_ ain’t being _forced_ to do _anything_. He could up an’ leave any time he wants to.” He glared in Hanzo’s direction. “Nothin’ is stoppin’ him from actin’ on his own and jeopardizin’ the mission.”

Winston coughed to get everyone’s attention. “Genji has explained to me the details, which I will relay onto the rest of you. Athena, please bring up the map.”

“This is a map of Oasis.” A voice chimed in as a huge hologram popped up on the wall.

“Thank you, Athena.” Winston looked at everyone. “Genji has details about a potential new recruit named Zenyatta. He is currently in Oasis, and is awaiting Genji’s return.” Winston looked at the map. “We will land in Oasis and search for him…but I will be honest with you.” He sighed. “Last I recalled, Oasis wasn’t exactly a friendly place for omnics. There is still much debate over whether or not omnics deserve basic human rights there, so I think it would be best if we were to find your friend as quickly as possible.”

Genji agreed. “My master can take care of himself if he must.”

Winston nodded. “I will remain at base to give each of you coordinates and directions. I will put Genji in charge of this mission.”

Genji gave a quick bow to Winston before prompting Hanzo to follow him on the aircraft; Hanzo hesitantly followed, looking more annoyed than anxious at the thought of being dragged along on one of his brother’s escapades.

Jesse, Lena, and Angela headed aboard after them and sat in their respective seats. It was necessary to buckle up while the aircraft was taking off, but once it was level then they could freely walk around as they pleased. Hanzo sat next to Genji, as was probably expected of him since he was still under surveillance. Jesse scoffed in his direction before passing him and sitting towards the back next to Lena. Hanzo wasn’t bothered in the slightest, and instead understood what it must have felt like to be in the same breathing space as someone who had tried to kill him. The same could be said for Genji, he supposed.

It wasn’t long before the aircraft was in flight and heading towards Oasis. Unbeknownst to Hanzo, who chose to close his eyes and meditate in his seat and thus ignore anything and everything around him, there was a wave of awkward silence bouncing between each of the other members. Even Lena, who always tried her best to keep things lively, was having difficulties figuring out what to say without the risk of triggering a fight. Angela tried to ignore the vibes by reading a book, and Jesse…well, he was attempting to distract himself by walking around the ship and going through the mini fridge in a vain attempt to see if there was any alcohol. Of course there wasn’t, not when Angela was there; he knew he should have snuck a bottle of bourbon onto the ship with him.

Genji eyed his brother, whose expression looked more like he was desperately trying to forget something than a man clearing his mind. And yes, those were two completely different things. One cannot simply force memories out, they must instead be gradually blown away like a gentle wind, until the mind is clear of all thoughts and the body is at peace. That was what Zenyatta taught him, and it worked like a charm. Sure it took about a year for it to finally stick with him, but it worked eventually and that’s all that mattered.

After a moment, Hanzo opened his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh before unclasping his bottle of sake that he kept attached to his sash and began to drink in giant gulps.

“Have you always carried a bottle of sake with you, Brother?” Genji asked with a piqued curiosity.

Hanzo didn’t answer him and instead continued to drink, only stopping for a moment to breathe.

Jesse returned from his failed attempt at distracting himself just in time to hear their conversation. “You gonna answer him, Pardner?” He stated with much distaste in his voice.

Hanzo eyed the man. “I see no reason to.”

Jesse clenched his fists. “You’re a real piece of work. I get that conversatin’ ain’t your thing…” He scoffed. “Instead of talkin’, you just up your body count.”

Hanzo faltered and glared up at the cowboy.

Genji sighed. “Jesse, it’s alright.” He turned to his brother. “I just want to start a conversation…you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but I would like to talk to you whenever you are able.”

Hanzo put away his sake bottle. “If you wish to know so badly, no I haven’t. I only started carrying one around after I thought I killed you.”

The conversation ended there, and the ship was deathly silent until they landed in Oasis.

.

.

.

Oasis was so beautiful. At least, Zenyatta thought so. After Genji had left his side to track down his brother in Hanamura, Zenyatta decided to continue on with his wanderings, knowing full well that Genji would be able to find him should he decided to join up again. His journey brought him to Oasis, and although it was just a momentary pit-stop, Zenyatta was almost tempted to stay and linger for a few more hours just to embrace the tranquility of his surroundings.

He should have known, however, that this peaceful atmosphere was short-lived.

“Hey look, it’s an omnic!”

Zenyatta felt something hit him on the side of his head. He looked down and saw that it was an empty bottle. He looked in the direction it came from and saw a mob of angry protesters. An anti-omnic group, he suspected. He wasn’t surprised; there were practically anti-omnic groups everywhere in the world save for Numbani.

“Your kind wish for human rights, but what about OUR rights when your kind attacked us?!”

“Yeah! You _things_ don’t deserved rights! You’re not human!”

Zenyatta tilted his head at them. “With all due respect, but you are the ones throwing things at me and yet you say that _I’m_ not human?”

One man tried to run at him with a bat, but he dodged it with ease. The man then tried to retaliate, but Zenyatta spun around and pushed the man lightly on the back of his head, but it had enough force for the man to lose his balance and fall to the ground.

“From where you are lying, I can now say with certainty that I vastly prefer floating.” Zenyatta let out a chuckle.

“Tin can!” Another man had a fire extinguisher and pointed it towards Zenyatta, but Zenyatta was too quick. He propelled one of his orbs towards the man’s hand, effectively disarming him.

“I may be on fire, but an extinguisher is not required.” Zenyatta remained in his meditative pose, completely unaffected by the mob before him. “It is not too late for you all to find peace within yourselves.”

A woman readied a rifle. “This is for putting my family through hell, _omnic_!” She fired the rifle.

“Master!”

In a split second, Genji appeared and deflected the barrage of bullets towards a tree behind the mob.

“Ah, Genji. I see that you have returned…you were gone for a while, so I assume that your travels proved to be fruitful?”

Genji inwardly groaned at the fact that Zenyatta wasn’t even treating this situation seriously. “I will explain after I deal with these thugs, Master.”

Angela flew towards Zenyatta. “Mercy on call. Are you hurt?”

Zenyatta flashed her a peace sign. “I am in perfect condition.”

Lena dashed towards Zenyatta with delight. “Whoa, you’re Genji’s master?! Nice to meet you, I’m Lena Oxton, call sign Tracer!”

A whistle from behind them. “Now don’t that beat all. Y’all got some nerve gangin’ up on an innocent passin’ through.” Jesse smiled at the mob.

Whisperings between them.

“That tin can has friends!”

“We still outnumber them, we can take ‘em!”

Genji still held his wakizashi in front of his body. “I will not let you harm my master.”

One woman scoffed. “Are you some sort of omnic too?! Your body is not human!”

A man pointed a rifle at Genji. “His voice sounds like a man’s…he’s just a freak of nature that shouldn’t exist.”

Genji remained silent. Beneath the mask, he was reciting all of the words Zenyatta has taught him. To find his inner peace, and drown out all discord. But while most of his body was mechanical, his brain and emotions were still human; those words still stung even though no one could see it.

Jesse took a swig of his cigarillo. “I reckon y’all better leave, before there’s more than just hell to pay.” He didn’t take kindly to anyone insulting his best friend. He readied Peacekeeper.

Zenyatta chuckled. “You have some amusing friends, my student.”

Genji still had his eyes and wakizashi trained on the mob, looking for the slightest hand movements. He failed to notice the man to the side who readied a rocket launcher.

“I’m gonna send you both to the scrap heap!” The man had his hand on the trigger.

“Genji!” Angela and Jesse couldn’t react in time. Lena tried zipping towards the man, but the mob prevented her from doing so without getting hurt in the process. Genji could only think about the safety of his master and friends.

“Master—“

A whistle through the wind. The man previously holding the rocket launcher dropped it before falling to the ground himself…an arrow protruding from the back of his head.

Genji looked towards the direction the arrow came from, and saw Hanzo with his readied bow crouching at the top of a building a few meters away. He smiled behind his mask.

Jesse mouth went slack at the scene, so much so that he didn’t even notice that his cigarillo had dropped to the ground.

The mob got frantic upon seeing one of their own dead in a pool of his own blood, and they scattered.

Lena stared in awe. “Whoa…that was so cool! Where’d your brother learn to shoot like that?”

Genji looked in Hanzo’s direction. “…Our father was a harsh man. He made us practice many hours of the day, usually only stopping to eat. My brother received harsher training because he was supposed to be his heir.” Genji turned on his comm. “Thank you, Brother. Please make it back here safely.”

Hanzo’s voice came up through. “…Understood.”

Genji brought his attention towards Zenyatta. “Master, I apologize greatly for leaving you…I had some unfinished business to take care of.”

“Fear not, my student.” Zenyatta looked at Genji. “I could tell that this was important to you, and so I knew that you would return to me once you were ready.”

Genji let out a relieved sigh. “Master…these are my friends.” He introduced them all. “Jesse McCree.” Said man tipped his hat. “…Angela Ziegler, but during missions we refer to her as Mercy.” Angela smiled. “Tracer already introduced herself.” The bubbly young woman grinned. “And—“

Hanzo appeared before the group, having jumped from building to building to make it back swiftly.

“—This is my brother, Hanzo.”

Hanzo looked at the omnic before him, unsure of what to think. _This_ was Genji’s master?

Zenyatta stared at Hanzo. “Ah…it is nice to finally meet you. Genji has told me much about you.”

Hanzo bristled but said nothing.

Zenyatta continued. “…I sense the same rage inside you that once consumed your brother.”

Hanzo gritted his teeth. “We are _nothing_ alike.” And he turned his back towards the group and headed back in the direction of the aircraft.

“I apologize, Master…Hanzo is still unused to this situation.” Genji explained. “But regardless, there’s something I would like to discuss with you.”

Zenyatta was listening, so Genji continued. “I would like for you to join me and my friends. We are part of a group known as Overwatch. I believe that…we can make a difference again. I’m not forcing you to, of course, but…I would be at ease knowing that you were by my side.”

Zenyatta glanced at Jesse, Lena, and Angela, who smiled back at him. He looked back at Genji. “Just as you have accompanied me through my journey, now I shall return the favor. I must admit that traveling without you by my side has felt a little lonely.”

Genji beamed. “I look forward to fighting alongside you once again, Master.”

Angela clapped her hands together. “We should head back to the airship…it will take us quite a while to get back to base, and I don’t think we should keep your brother waiting.”

While Genji held a conversation with Angela and Lena, Zenyatta brought his attention to Jesse, who was walking behind everyone else. “I have noticed that every time Genji’s brother is brought up in conversation, your harmony wavers and anger takes its place.”

Jesse had replaced his cigarillo with another and lit it. “Our first meeting wasn’t exactly a nice one.” He pointed towards his shoulder. “Got an arrow shot straight through; still feels sore.”

“But that is not all that bothers you.” Zenyatta was very perceptive, which made Jesse curse under his breath.

“I just don’t get how Genji can immediately trust the man who almost killed him. Sure they’re brothers, but that’s a fuckin’ poor excuse.”

Zenyatta hummed. “What makes you think that Genji fully trusts him? I can sense even now that like you, Genji feels uneasy being around his brother.”

Jesse’s eyes widened. “Then why…”

“Because Genji also has an undying faith in his brother; he wants to help his brother find peace and stability because he does not want him to suffer any longer.” Zenyatta looked at his student with admiration. “He has told me before that he wants nothing more than for the two of them to be a family again, but he knows that will never happen if his brother cannot forgive himself for what he has done.”

Jesse looked at Genji. “…When Genji first came to us, I was just a young punk still bein’ whipped into shape. We met in the med bay. I was injured from a mission, and…he was having maintenance done to his body.” Jesse gritted his teeth. “Not gonna lie, I was shocked as all hell to see that more than half of his body that I could see was nothin’ but wirin’ and electrical circuits. He looked to be in pain, so I talked to him through it. Told me that he was attacked by his brother and somehow wound up on a medical table. Last thing he remembered was a flash of bright blue light and a murderous roar.” He hated thinking about that day that was still fresh in his memory. They’ve been best friends ever since, even if they were part of different divisions. Jesse was beside himself when Genji left Overwatch, especially since he knew the reason why was because Genji couldn’t accept himself and what he had become. He was angry most days, and the rest was filled with pain and sorrow. And all of that was caused by his brother, the man that was now waiting for them in the aircraft.

“I believe that what Genji needs most is a good friend such as yourself to help him through this.” Zenyatta chuckled. “I can only watch over him so much. It does get tiring trying to keep up with him.”

Jesse chuckled as well and blew out a puff of smoke. “Some things never change.”

Genji reappeared next to the two. “You two were following rather slowly so I grew concerned. Is everything alright?”

Zenyatta waved his hand. “We were just having a conversation. No need to worry, my student.”

Jesse put an arm around Genji’s shoulder. “Was just gettin’ to know the guy responsible for watchin’ over your ass.”

Genji huffed. “If I knew I would be made fun of, I wouldn’t have bothered asking.”

Angela looked back at the three and smiled to herself. “It will take even longer to arrive back to base if you three linger behind.”

Jesse grinned. “Way to break up a heart-felt moment, Darlin’.” But he ran to catch up to her and Lena, with Genji and Zenyatta close behind.

Unbeknownst to them, back on the ship, Hanzo had a panic attack. It took him a few minutes to calm himself down, but his heartbeat and breathing was erratic. He could feel the dragons constrict around his arm, as if begging to be released so they could devour.

“ _Be silent._ ” He hissed in Japanese. The dragons continued to fester beneath his skin, and it almost became unbearable.

He could hear the door to the airship opening. No. No they cannot see him like this. He was on his knees, holding onto his arm, his tattoo glowing from the blue light of his dragons.

“Brother!” Genji was by his side in a millisecond, followed by Jesse, Angela, and Zenyatta.

Hanzo panicked. “No! Stay away!”

Genji didn’t listen. “What is wrong?!” His eyes drifted towards his brother’s tattoo. He could clearly see the dragons squirming. “Your dragons—“

Hanzo couldn’t breathe. His eyes darted to Angela; her expression concerned and wondering if she could help in any way, which she couldn’t. Then to Zenyatta; his expression was unchanging. To Lena; her expression looked like a mix of both terrified and intrigue, probably because she has never seen dragons before. To Jesse; that look of suspicion was expected of the man he had tried to kill. And finally, back to Genji. He couldn’t let history repeat himself. But there was nowhere to run.

He let out painful scream, and his dragons released themselves from his tattoo and surrounded him. They had a hunger that could not be quelled.

Jesse’s eyes widened. A bright blue light, and a murderous roar. This was what attacked Genji. “You fuckin’ monster…”

He only whispered that to himself, but Genji had heard him regardless. However, his first priority was to help his brother. He unsheathed his katana.

_Please, I know you don’t like to show yourself, but…please help my brother._

Genji dashed towards Hanzo, despite the pleas from behind him that it was too dangerous. He didn’t care; he could not bear to see his brother suffering like this. With one quick slash of his katana, a green dragon appeared from the blade and coiled around the bodies of Hanzo’s dragons. The twin dragons attempted to fend off their brother, but they were unable to fight it. Slowly, the twin dragons dissipated, and retreated back to Hanzo’s tattoo. Genji’s dragon disappeared with them, returning to Genji’s blade.

Genji held his brother upright and Hanzo could vaguely hear some Japanese phrases, but couldn’t make out what was being spoken. His eyesight was blurring, and his body felt numb and limp.

He lost consciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse and Hanzo have a heart-to-heart (finally).
> 
> TW: Graphic depictions of violence (the paragraph is relatively short)

_“Your father was a powerful, strict man. But he also had a loving heart when it came to you both. Hanzo…per Soichiro Shimada’s wishes, from this day forth you will be the leader of the Shimada Clan. May our fate lie in your hands.”_

_Hanzo stared at his father’s coffin while listening to his father’s most trusted advisor, Ueda, inform him of his new responsibilities. He knew that this day would come eventually, but he didn’t think it would be this soon…he hadn’t anticipated for a life-threatening illness to take his father from the world of the living before he even reached the age of thirty. He was not ready for the responsibilities. He was not ready to maintain the honor that so heavily weighed on his shoulders._

_“And as the new leader of our clan…” Ueda continued. “May I suggest that your first order of business be to handle that undisciplined younger brother of yours? His escapades are distasteful.”_

_Hanzo’s eyebrow twitched at the mention of Genji, his younger brother by three years, who didn’t even bother to show  up to their father’s funeral because he would rather go gallivanting around the town, no doubt visiting that arcade and picking up women along the way. Hanzo couldn’t stand this side of his brother, who wasted all of his natural-born talent on childish antics. Hanzo had to study and train almost every hour of the day to attain the same level of skill Genji possessed naturally. If Hanzo were to have a say in it, he would say that out of the two of them, Genji should have been the leader…but as fate should have it, Hanzo was born first, and thus both of their fates were sealed._

_If there was one thing Hanzo had that his brother didn’t, however…it was his ability to speak to his dragons. Hanzo’s dragons appeared before him and accepted him in record time, faster than even his own father. He had a natural gift for controlling them, and in return his dragons would protect their master. Genji, no matter how hard he tried, couldn’t call forth his dragon to manifest. When his tattoo finally manifested itself on his back, revealing a menacing green dragon flying amongst the clouds and cherry blossoms, he tried to summon it with little to no success. Soon he stopped trying, and his dragon became dormant, only showing itself whenever Genji felt an overflow of emotions that were beyond his control._

_But not even his emotions could help Genji summon his dragon that fateful day, when everything turned to ash._

_“Your brother has shamed this clan for the last time.” One of the village elders spat out towards Hanzo. “As his older brother, it is your duty to deal with him.”_

_Hanzo bowed. “I shall talk to him—“_

_“We do not mean_ talking _, Hanzo.”_

_Hanzo’s eyes widened as he straightened out his back and stared at the elders in confusion and worry._

_Another village elder shook her head; Hanzo noted that she was frighteningly calm. “You are to kill him. Rid him and the stain he has brought upon this clan forever.”_

_For a split second, Hanzo thought that his vision had disappeared. His thoughts and eyesight faded, and his world went dark. But he didn’t falter as he bowed once more and accepted his duty as leader of the clan._

_His brother was a stain. His brother was not needed. It was his duty._

_“I do…what I must.”_

_._

_._

_._

Hanzo jolted awake, his breathing erratic and drenched in a cold sweat. He looked around at his surroundings and noticed that he was in a medical facility of some sort. He brought his right hand to his tattoo, which tingled under his touch.

“Ah, I see that you are awake.”

Hanzo glanced up to see Angela standing at the door with a clipboard. She walked towards him with an expression of concern. “Do you know where you are?”

Hanzo’s eyes dashed around the room, then back to Angela. “…A hospital.”

She chuckled. “Close enough. You are at Gibraltar’s medical bay. Do you…recall what happened for you to end up here?”

Hanzo’s head pounded; he could barely remember anything that had recently happened, so he just shook his head.

Angela pursed his lips. “You lost control of your dragons, so Genji intervened and quelled them. You lost consciousness soon after.”

He lost control of his dragons. That hasn’t happened since they first manifested…and Genji had…

“Hanzo, you need to breathe. Please.”

He felt a hand caress his shoulder lightly, and his breathing began to even out.

Angela sighed and checked his vitals. “Are you prone to frequent panic attacks?”

Hanzo bit his lip. “…No.”

_Only when Genji is involved._

Angela seemed to understand without much to go off of. “You’ve been unconscious for about a week.”

That got Hanzo’s mind to race. An entire week? How could he have been unconscious for that long? Now that he thought about it, that explained why he was feeling lightheaded and lethargic.

Angela smiled. “You must be hungry. I will grab some food for you.”

Hanzo attempted to get out of the bed he was in, but Angela stopped him with a firm hand and harsh stare. “Not until you get some much needed nourishment. Once you eat and get your energy back, then you may leave. But until then, lie down.”

He grumbled but obliged; he ended up staring at the vast array of medical supplies around the room. The heart monitor, the IV that was stuck in his arm, the huge medicine cabinet and individual syringes that were neatly packed and made sure to be sterile. A part of him wondered what sort of supplies were needed to fix Genji’s body.

The door slid open and Hanzo’s eyes widened to see Genji bringing in a tray of teriyaki chicken, a miso soup, and some rice.

“I apologize, Brother…I ran into Angela and she informed me that you were awake and needed something to eat.” Genji sat the tray down in front of Hanzo. “I offered to put together something that would be light on your stomach.”

Hanzo remained silent and just watched as Genji pulled up a chair and sat next to his bedside. After a short moment, he sighed and picked up the small bowl of miso soup and began to sip it. It tasted a lot better than what he was expecting.

Genji continued to watch his brother. “I’m glad to see that you are enjoying your meal.”

Hanzo eyed Genji from his peripheral as he moved on to the teriyaki chicken and rice. “I have not had a decent meal in a long while.”

Genji nodded, and began to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Hanzo let out an exasperated sigh.

“If you have something to say to me, then say it.”

Genji stared at him through his mask. “…Did Angela inform you as to what happened when you…lost control?”

Hanzo didn’t answer, and instead began to chew some rice.

“Brother…your dragons summoned themselves in an effort to protect you. From what, I am not sure, but it was obvious that they became protective because of your emotions at the time.” Genji attempted to touch his brother’s shoulder, but Hanzo flinched away. “…You _need_ to let go of the past and forgive yourself. It will help you—“

Hanzo slammed his fists on the bed, nearly causing the remains of his food to clang to the floor. “You have spoken your bit, and I have nothing to say to you. Leave. Now.”

Hanzo couldn’t see it, but Genji bore a look of pure irritation all over his face. Silence lingered between the two brothers, until finally Genji got up from his seat.

“I’m just trying to help you, Hanzo.” And in an instant, Genji vanished from his room. Hanzo stared at his hands and brought them up to his face, trying so hard not to lose it once more.

.

.

.

“It’s a little early to be drinking that much, don’tcha think?”

Jesse opened one eye to see one of the new recruits, a girl named Hana Song, staring at him with bored eyes. He smirked.

“Never too early to drink a shot of the finest bourbon. Wouldn’t mind some whiskey, either.” Although after the fourth shot he finally decided that it was enough; especially since it normally took at least nine shots for him to start feeling the buzz.

Hana grinned. “…You game?”

Jesse rose an eyebrow and laughed. “Nah, was never my kind of thing. Why, lookin’ for a pardner to play with?”

She plopped down on the couch next to Jesse. “Not really, I can always play online against other players but idk…everyone here just acts so OLD…”

“That’s ‘cause we _are_ old. You’re like the youngest recruit we have so far.” Jesse flicked her in the head, which caused her to huff. That got a chuckle out of him. “So besides myself, anyone else you bothered talkin’ to since you arrived?”

Hana blew a bubble of gum. “Not really…obviously I talked to Winston otherwise I wouldn’t be here…oh, and I ran into this really cool ninja dude who looked straight out of a sci-fi game. He seemed nice but hard for me to tell without looking at his face.”

“Oh, his name’s Genji. And he rarely takes off that mask in front of others so guess you would have to be someone special for that to happen.”

Hana seemed to understand. “Not sure what his deal is, but it’s none of my business.” She then got up. “I was gonna head to the practice range with Lucio…you want in?”

Jesse stood up and checked his stance. The alcohol seemed to wear off for the most part, so he grinned and nodded. “Lead the way.”

.

.

.

“Aw yeah!” Lucio yelled while wall-riding and jumping basically everywhere in the practice range. Jesse wasn’t sure whether to be amazed or terrified that the man could potentially injure himself.

Hana came flying out onto the range in her mekka. “D.Va, reading for action!”

Jesse whistled. “That’s some mighty fine machine ya got there.”

Hana threw him a peace sign. “I can sell you pictures if you want.”

“And here I thought we were friends and you’d give me one for free.” Jesse got out his Peacekeeper. He stood in front of a practice robot and fired a head shot. They were, for the most part, doing their own thing with Jesse getting some headshot practice in and Lucio seeing just how far up he can wall run before having to take a breather. Hana was flying around the entire range charging at robots, which was actually pretty amusing to watch as Jesse witnessed many robots flying off the side of the cliff. They were at it for about a half hour until two new faces showed themselves.

“Greetings.” Genji waved at the crowd. Jesse was about to grin and wave back, but faltered when he saw that Hanzo was trailing behind Genji and he scowled.

Hana and Lucio were pretty excited, however.

“It’s a party now!” Lucio rose the volume began to wall ride once again.

Hanzo let out a groan as he reluctantly joined his brother. He originally didn’t want to go to the practice range, especially with Genji, but he didn’t have a good enough excuse to get out of it.

Jesse paid no mind to them and instead continued to get some more head shots off. He could hear a chuckle behind him.

“I don’t understand why you continue to practice headshots when you are already one of the best at it already.” Genji was amused.

Jesse grinned. “Don’t want my talent to dry up. Need to keep practicin’ in order to remain the best.”

Genji tilted his head. “Honestly, I would love to see who would win at a contest, you or my brother. His skills at a bow were unmatched back in Hanamura.”

Jesse bristled at the mere comparison and glanced at Hanzo, who was at the very top of one of the buildings and was sniping robots from afar. “Wouldn’t exactly be a fair fight, pardner. A gun can naturally fire faster than a bow.” That and he was confident in his ability to never miss a headshot when it counted.

“I wouldn’t underestimate Hanzo’s abilities, Jesse. You might come to learn something, if you gave him a chance.” Jesse knew that what Genji was really saying was for him to try to mend the rift between the two. He sighed and walked towards Hanzo.

“Mighty fine shootin’ there.” Jesse attempted to say without a hint of frustration. Hanzo’s posture faltered for a slight second but continued to shoot.

“It is nothing special. I trained, I got better. As simple as that.” Hanzo was confused as to why Jesse was suddenly speaking to him, but he suspected that his brother was involved in some shape or form. Hanzo was also trained in reading people’s expressions and determining their emotions from that as well as body language…but even so, he was no idiot. It was clear as day that Jesse was put up to this from the stiff manner of speaking and how the cowboy seemed far from relaxed. “Although I must commend you on your quick reflexes. If you had not detected my arrow sooner, you most certainly would have been dead.”

Jesse scowled and tipped his hat downward. “Now hold on there. Here I am tryin’ to be nice and you have to go bringin’ up that?” He jabbed a metal finger into Hanzo’s chest. “I get it, you’re an assassin and I have a bounty that could easily set you off for life. But we’re on the same team now, so if you think you still have a job to do, then I can guarantee you that you’ll be the one who ends up dead.”

Hanzo swatted Jesse’s hand away. “…If you were serious in your threat, you would have killed me by now.”

“Damnit, you’re one stubborn ass, you know that?” Jesse crossed his arms. “I ain’t gonna kill you because Genji is my best friend and for some reason he still cares for you. And I’m at least willin’ to overlook your little assassination attempt because of that. I don’t kill just anyone unless I have a reason to.”

 _A pity_. Hanzo thought as he lowered his bow. He had to admit, he was beginning to grow curious every time he talked to Jesse. First the cowboy rightfully despised him, and now all of a sudden he was at least _trying_ to befriend him? Maybe ‘befriend’ wasn’t the right word; more like ‘tolerated’. Just what was going on in that head, he wondered.

“So whaddaya say? How ‘bout a quick aiming contest?” Jesse held up Peacekeeper. “First one to get twenty headshots is the winner. The loser has to answer whatever question the winner wants.”

Hanzo rose an eyebrow at those terms, but slowly nodded in agreement. It was highly unlikely that he would lose, but he knew better than to underestimate an enemy. While he had the disadvantage of wielding his Storm Bow and Jesse had the quick-reloading Peacekeeper, one thing Hanzo _did_ have was mobility.

And so, their game began. Hanzo dashed from building to building and headshot a few roaming robots roaming around some boxes. He could hear the sound of a gun popping off from afar, but it didn’t falter him in the slightest as he aimed at another robot and headshot that one as well.

Jesse watched as Hanzo used precision and grace to destroy the robots, and he knew that he was running out of time. He wasn’t able to get to a high enough vantage point, so he could only destroy whatever robot was in his vicinity. Good thing it took no effort to reload, which allowed him to destroy eight robots in no time flat.

The game ended by a tiny margin, with both Hanzo and Jesse destroying their twentieth robot within mere seconds of each other. When no decision could be settled on, the group called upon Athena to relay the footage of both of them, and she concluded that Jesse was the victor. Hanzo sighed but he was an honorable man.

“You have beaten me, so I will uphold my end of the agreement.” The irritation on Hanzo’s face was apparent. “What would you like to know.”

Jesse honestly didn’t think he would win, and he was sweating profusely from trying to just keep up with the archer. But he was very happy that he did. “Tell me about that tattoo of yours. Those dragon things you summoned seemed to come out of them.”

Hanzo eyed Jesse. So that’s what this was about. “…The second someone is born into the Shimada family, they are given the protection of a dragon. The exact time they are able to call forth their dragon varies depending on many factors including emotions and self-discipline. When we come of age, a tattoo manifests which allows for us to focus our dragons to one spot and allow us to speak to and summon them.” He held out his arm and clenched his fist. “I was able to summon my dragons shortly after my tattoo appeared, and they have never disobeyed me…that is, until a week ago.”

Genji chose to break away from Lucio and Hana to join in on the conversation. “I have to admit that I am jealous, Brother. I received my tattoo a few years after you, but even now my dragon sometimes refuses to listen to me.”

“That is because you lack self-discipline.” Hanzo deadpanned. “You always have, and from the look of things it seems that it will be a long while before you do.”

Genji chuckled. “I can’t exactly argue with that. I have a tendency to jump head-on into a fight even when my team cannot follow up. I have received many harsh words from Angela on the matter.”

Hanzo shook his head. “I rest my case.”

Jesse couldn’t help but eye Hanzo’s tattoo that started on his left pectoral and snaked its way down his arm. The amount of detail was extraordinary, and he still couldn’t believe that an entire _family_ possessed the ability to summon actual _dragons_ whenever they wanted to.

“I do not appreciate you scrutinizing my tattoo.” Hanzo’s voice interrupted Jesse’s thoughts and he instinctively jolted back. Damn…he could feel his face getting hot from being caught red-handed like that.

Jesse scoffed. “Was just admirin’ it, is all. So you said you were able to control them from the very beginnin’ because you always kept your emotions and…self-discipline in check?”

Hanzo nodded. “I was skilled at many things, but my ability to control my dragons was by far my most shining quality.”

Jesse probably wouldn’t have been so pissed off about that comment if it weren’t for the fact that Hanzo’s voice sounded like it was _laced_ with arrogance. “So then I guess your emotions were under control when you used your dragons to murder Genji, huh?”

The air in the practice range grew thick and strained.

“Jesse.” Genji glared at the cowboy beneath his mask, and his voice was sharp.

Hanzo’s eyes fell to the floor. “…Excuse me.” And in one swift motion, he dashed out of the room.

Genji crossed his arms and looked at Jesse with strong disapproval. “It appears that I am not the only one here who lacks self-discipline.”

Jesse sighed and stared at Genji. “I just want answers, Genji. I ain’t doin’ this just to make your brother suffer. I can only work with people I trust, and Hanzo has so far given me little reasons to trust him.”

“So _tell_ him that.” Genji said with a frustrated tone. “Because from where I’m standing it sounds like you constantly feel the need to remind him of the very thing he needs to forgive himself on. You say you need a reason to trust him, but…” He let out a long sigh. “…I’m sorry, Jesse, but right now I’m finding it very hard to trust _you_.”

He walked away without waiting for Jesse’s response, and was completely unaware of the fact that Jesse’s mouth was agape and his posture slacked.

Jesse fucked up. He fucked up _bad_.

.

.

.

Hanzo was seated by the cliffside, gazing out at the beautiful scenery before him. The clouds that slowly moved, and the mountains that still had a little bit of snow on them. He tried hard to meditate, but images of _that night_ kept flashing in his mind. He didn’t need Jesse’s constant harassment to remind him of back then; that memory was still fresh and he hated it.

He tried to think of happier moments with Genji, before everything changed. He recalled the times when they were children and their father would scold Genji for breaking something around their home, and Hanzo would sneak out to buy him some snacks from the local store. Genji’s eyes would light up upon seeing the assortment of candies and crackers waiting for him in his room. Hanzo couldn’t help but smile upon remembering that; if only things never changed. If only his father was still alive. If only the village elders had never asked him to kill his brother.

“You’re pretty hard to find, you know that?”

Hanzo let out an exasperated sigh at the familiar voice. “If you wish to make things even worse for me, then you will have to wait until tomorrow.”

Jesse let out a chuckle. “…Mind if I take a seat next to ya?”

Hanzo opened one eye and stared. “…If you only came here to berate me, then no you may not.”

“Cross my heart, Darlin’, that ain’t what I came here for.” Jesse shot him a small smile and plopped down next to Hanzo. There was barely any space between them, which made Hanzo slightly uneasy but he said nothing.

Jesse took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “Listen…can I at least explain myself?”

Hanzo eyed him suspiciously. “Explain what? How you seem to take joy out of my miserable life?”

“Cynical, much?” Jesse grinned. “But nah, what I _did_ want to explain was my reasoning.” His expression turned solemn. “I just…wanted answers from you, is all. I ain’t the type to trust someone blindly, especially when our first meetin’ was ‘cause you wanted to cash in my bounty.”

Hanzo’s eyes widened for a moment, and then he looked down at his hands that were on his lap. “…I can understand why you would find it hard to trust me.”

“Good, so we’re off to a start.” Jesse eyed the tattoo once more. “When ya lost control a week ago, that was the first time I saw your dragons. I remembered when Genji and I first met, and how his brother almost killed him. He also mentioned a bright blue light and roaring…”

Hanzo clenched his hands into fists, so hard that his knuckles were close to turning white. “…You are correct. It was…almost terrifying how calm I was at the time.”

Jesse glanced at him, and Hanzo continued. He didn’t even notice the tears forming in his eyes. “That night is still fresh in my memory…and it haunts me every minute I am alive.”

 _He confronted Genji around midnight, in the same room that they used for sparring practice. Genji had just come back from one of his nightly escapades, and judging from the red marks on his neck, it wasn’t_ just _a night out at the arcade. Hanzo held his sword by his side._

_“What are you doing up at this time of night, Brother?” Genji asked as he was trying to sneak back into his room._

_Hanzo’s expression was stiff. “…I could ask you the same thing.”_

_A roll of the eyes. “Please.” And he was about to walk past Hanzo when a sword shot out, effectively blocking him from his intended path. He glared at Hanzo. “What the hell are you doing?!”_

_Hanzo’s eyes were dark and lacked light. They were the eyes of someone who had been trained to kill. He threw a sword at Genji’s feet. “Pick it up.”_

_“…A sparring match? Seriously? I would like to sleep.” Genji attempted once more to get past Hanzo, but to no avail. “I’m getting angry, Brother.”_

_“So let out your anger at me.” Hanzo got into a stance. “And you better take this seriously.”_

_He let out a sigh, but Genji obliged and picked up the sword. In one swift motion, he swung at his brother. Hanzo did not falter and effortlessly dodged the attack. He knew that Genji wouldn’t take this seriously._

_When Hanzo lunged his sword at Genji, it punctured his right arm, and Genji let out an anguished scream. “W-What the fuck, Hanzo?! I thought we were sparring!”_

_Hanzo’s eyes were cold. “You are not meant to be a part of this family, Genji. I have been ordered to deal with you.”_

_Genji’s eyes widened, and all of a sudden the gravity of the situation was painfully clear. “…B-Brother…did the elders order you to…_ k-kill _me?”_

_Hanzo remained silent, and instead answered with another sword lunge with unmatched grace. Genji very narrowly dodged._

_“Hanzo! I’m your brother! I can’t…I can’t fight you!”_

_“You can, and you will.” Hanzo got ready for another lunge. “You better take this seriously, Brother, because next time I won’t miss.”_

_Genji’s eyes began to water. “I can’t…I can’t kill you, Hanzo…I can’t attack my own brother! I love you too much…please, listen to me!”_

_Hanzo needed to block everything out. “Be silent!” He had a duty to fulfill. He had to…he had to…_

_The dragons rippled under his skin, and with a swift lunge his dragons came forth, surrounding the sword’s blade as it thrust into Genji’s neck. The dragons wasted no time devouring their meal, and Genji’s gurgled screams of agony ringed in Hanzo’s ears, no matter how hard he tried to block it out. When Hanzo’s thoughts became clear, he stared down at his brother’s seemingly lifeless body that was so badly disfigured Hanzo felt sick to his stomach. His face was badly cut up…there were large gashes all over his torso and abdomen, and Hanzo was almost certain that a thin layer of fat and skin were the only things keeping Genji’s organs from falling out. And…oh god…his right arm and both of his legs were_ gone _. Hanzo ran outside the dojo and threw up everything he had eaten for dinner that day. What had he done…? His own brother was dead because of him…! He didn’t even fight back, and he killed him!!_

_Hanzo went back inside and stared at Genji’s body, and it took every ounce of willpower to not collapse onto his knees and sob. He needed to find his resolve._

_That same night, he propped his sword in front of the scroll they sparred in front of. He cringed upon seeing the slash going through the bottom corner that was now stained with his brother’s blood. He hastily ran to his room and grabbed his Storm Bow and a change of clothes. He noticed a picture sitting by his bed of he and Genji when they were small children, laughing together. He closed his eyes and placed the frame face-down, and then left to grab his brother’s body._

_He placed his brother’s body in a field where they used to run around in. He said a short word of prayer, and then set off into the night._

_Ever since then, he vowed never to use a sword again. He didn’t deserve forgiveness; this was his burden to bear alone._

_._

_._

_._

Jesse listened in silence as Hanzo recounted his memories of that night. It was only then that Hanzo realized he was beginning to cry and he wiped whatever tears were already trailing down his cheeks.

“…Sorry.” That was all Jesse could think of to say. He felt like a huge jackass from how he treated Hanzo, especially after hearing what the man has been through.

Hanzo couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh. “You have such a way with words.”

Jesse sighed. “Listen…if I’d have known—“

“Don’t you _dare_ pity me, Cowboy.” Hanzo seethed, which caused Jesse to flinch. “The past cannot be changed, and I will forever live with this burden in my heart. Until you experience the pain of being forced to murder your own flesh and blood, then you _cannot_ know what I am going through.”

“…You done?”

Hanzo gritted his teeth but kept his head down and said nothing. Jesse took that as a ‘yes’.

“Listen…you’re right, I never experienced that before.” Jesse looked up at the sky. “But that don’t mean I don’t know a similar pain.”

Hanzo glanced at Jesse, who continued. “I grew up in New Mexico. I was the oldest of three siblings, and when my Ma and Pa were out workin’, I was the one to take care of my little brother and sister. Might be hard for you to believe, but I was a rambunctious free spirit.”

He heard Hanzo let out a sarcastic laugh, but he ignored it. “I decided to go huntin’ for some grub, and left my siblings in the house alone. When I came back…”

He had to let out a long breath to maintain his composure. “…When I came back, the whole place was a mess. Upon closer inspection, I realized someone had broken our kitchen window from the outside. I panicked, and frantically searched for my siblings. I found my brother hiding in his closet, but I couldn’t find my sister anywhere. My brother didn’t seem to be harmed, so we both set out to find her.

“…We found her body in the creek by our home.”

Hanzo’s eyes widened and was left speechless. Now, instead of looking down at his hands, his full attention was on the man next to him.

Jesse’s expression didn’t change. “My parents were heartbroken when they found out what happened, and the police didn’t do a damn thing to find the killer. I blamed myself for not bein’ at home when I should’ve. Maybe if I was home, I coulda protected her.”

Before he realized what he was doing, Hanzo placed a firm hand on Jesse’s shoulder, which startled the other man for a split second. “If you were at home, you could have also been killed.”

Jesse smiled sadly. “That coulda been the case, but at the time, I didn’t think about it like that. I was just a dumb naïve kid who felt like it was my fault for not bein’ there when they needed me the most.”

Before Hanzo could say anything else, Jesse waved his hand. “Anyway…I felt like I had to do _somethin’_. And if the law wasn’t gonna bring my sister’s murderer to justice, then I would.

“I grabbed my dad’s revolver and left home in the middle of the night the next day and did some diggin’ around town. And with the help of the description my brother gave me, I found the man I’d been lookin’ for. And you know what he was doin’ at the time? He was in a fuckin’ bar, gloating about killin’ a small girl because he felt like it. He said he was originally gonna just rob the place, but the temptation was too great.

“My blood boiled with every word that man said. I waited until he left the bar, and I got his attention real good by throwin’ a beer bottle at him. Right as he turned around, I told him that this is what he deserved for killin’ my sister, and I shot him right between his eyes. I reckon he died before he even hit the floor. ‘Course, I knew that someone would’ve heard the gunshot, so I made a run for it. Since that day, I’ve had a bounty on my head.”

Hanzo let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “…How old were you?”

Jesse smiled at him. “I was twelve. My little sister was seven.”

Hanzo’s heart wrenched. To be thrust into such a position before he was even legally a teenager… “And the gun that you used to shoot the man…” He glanced at the revolver firmly attached to Jesse’s hip, safe in its holster.

Jesse nodded. “Peacekeeper was originally my Pa’s. I told myself I would return it to him someday, but…obviously that hasn’t happened yet.” He chuckled. “Guess I still have some unfinished business.”

“…So why was Deadlock after you?” Hanzo needed some answers of his own.

Jesse let out a laugh. “So _they’re_ the ones that contracted you into killin’ me. Shoulda known.”

“So I’m assuming you have a history with them and that they don’t just hate you enough to kill you.” Hanzo crossed his arms and relaxed his posture slightly.

“Yeah yeah, I’m gettin’ to that.” Jesse lied back on the ground with his hands behind his head. “So I was on the run from the law after handin’ out some good ol’ vigilante justice…and who should I run into but some outlaw from the notorious Deadlock Gang. Actually, the guy was trying to fend off three robbers, and I saved his ass by headshotting each of ‘em.” He couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Man, the look on that man’s face. And then he stared at me and told me that I was just a snot-nosed kid, but I was a snot-nosed kid with a good shot. After I told him my story, he said there was a place for me in the Deadlock Gang. With no place else to go, I followed.

“They taught me how to handle the kickback of Peacekeeper so my aim could be twice as deadly. And before I knew it, I was among their highest ranks and their best sharpshooter. My bounty kept growin’ and growin’, and yeah they were wanted for many crimes, but they treated me like family and we stuck together. I had no idea what happened to my real family, but…I figured they were better off without me. No way would they allow a wanted criminal like myself into their home. They still don’t know what happened to me.”

Hanzo frowned. “Your parents lost one of their children to murder, and then they lose their oldest son because he decided to join a gang. Did you not think they would be worried about you?”

Jesse winced. “Not gonna lie…I wasn’t really thinkin’ about it at the time. Now I feel like even more of an ass. Thanks a lot, Darlin’.”

That earned him an eye roll. “Now we’re even.”

A smirk. “…Fair enough.” Jesse stared back up at the sky. “But anyways, it wasn’t until Deadlock got their asses handed to them by Blackwatch that I left them. Not by choice, mind you…Blackwatch basically pulled me kickin’ and screamin’ and I had to join them or be thrown in jail. Obviously I chose not to go to jail.”

“…Blackwatch?”

Jesse sighed. “…It was the covert ops division of Overwatch. They’re the ones who did all the dirty work while Overwatch got all the glory.” He didn’t mean to say that with malice, but it was true. He wasn’t in it for the glory or recognition like most of those in Blackwatch, of course, but he lost a lot of close friends and…important figures in his life because of the tension between the two groups. "One man in particular…now he was probably the closest thing I had to a father figure since I left home. He was my commander in Blackwatch, and a man who demanded respect. But if he respected ya, boy did he protect you with every ounce of his body. He took shit from nobody, and he roughed me up a little but he also cared for me like any father would his son. If it weren’t for him…I’d probably have been dead in a grave a long time ago.”

Hanzo had a look of sympathy on his face. “You sound like you really loved this man. What happened to him, if you don’t mind my asking.”

That struck a nerve in Jesse. “…There were many factors that led up to it, and honestly I don’t know the whole story so I have no right to judge, but…he wanted too much recognition that he didn’t get, and in his envious rage, he lashed out at Overwatch and died for it. He caused many others to die, as well.”

Hanzo remained silent, not knowing how to respond; out of all the explanations he ran through in his mind, that was certainly not among them.

“I wasn’t part of that disaster. I was asked to join them in their rebellion, but I had no desire to fight a losing battle. I resigned from Blackwatch before the incident happened…the only thing I heard was that the man I once thought of as a father figure was killed, along with the strike-commander of Overwatch. But while the strike-commander was viewed as a hero after death…the commander of Blackwatch was viewed as a traitor and was all but forgotten. The only time he is ever brought up in conversation is when there’s some bad talkin’ right after it.”

Jesse sat up and pulled a cigarillo from his pocket and lit it. He puffed out some smoke. “As much as I wanna say how stupid he was for doin’ what he did, I can understand what he was goin’ through. He was overlooked in everythin’ he’s ever accomplished, and was put in charge of a division that dealt with all the dirty work while Overwatch got all the glory that _he_ did himself. I woulda been angry too if I were in his position.”

Hanzo wanted to say something. He wanted some words, _any_ words to come out, but nothing formed. It frustrated him to no end.

Jesse chuckled. “You don’t have to say anythin’, if that’s what you’re goin’ stiff about.” He took another swig of his cigarillo. “Sure, I miss those days sometimes, but I wouldn’t trade this new family for the world.” He turned his head towards Hanzo and smiled. “We got off on a bad start, but I would like to extend that invitation to you. If your stay here is permanent and I can trust you, then you’re part of that family.” He held out a hand in expectation.

Hanzo stared at Jesse’s hand, dumbfounded. How could these people just willingly forgive and forget? Did no one have a sense of honor anymore? Maybe that’s what was wrong with Hanzo in the first place…

Upon seeing Jesse’s expectant expression slowly fall, Hanzo smiled slightly and shook it. “I am not too accustomed to hand shaking, I am afraid.”

Jesse put his hat back on and tipped it. “I’m sure you’ll get used to a lot of things you’re not accustomed to eventually, so long as you stay with us.”

“I fear for that day to come.” Hanzo joked, which made Jesse laugh. Hanzo could get used to this, he thought. He assumed that Jesse would loathe him for the rest of his stay here, but he actually felt…relieved…that that wasn’t the case. He’s never felt this…wanted before. Not from someone that wasn’t his family, anyway. It gave him a funny feeling inside his body; a tingling sensation that refused to go away.

They spent a few more minutes talking about their lives when Lena darted in front of them.

“There you guys are!” Lena shrieked. “Winston has something urgent he needs to tell us! We’re meeting in…well, the meeting room of course! Hurry up, Loves!” And in the blink of an eye, she dashed away.

Hanzo and Jesse looked at each other, before helping each other stand up and headed towards the meeting room, where everyone else was already gathered. Hanzo noticed Genji staring rather curiously at the both of them, but ignored it in favor of whatever Winston had to say.

“Now that everyone is here.” Winston cleared his throat, causing everyone to give him their undivided attention. “I was checking up on the other Overwatch bases that have long been abandoned…and Athena informed me that someone has hacked into the files that were being kept at the New York base. We’re unsure of what they took, but it is safe to assume that it must have been important if they risked doing such a thing.” Winston looked at the group. “I have already put together a group that I feel would be best for this mission. D.Va, Lucio, Jesse, Hanzo, and Zenyatta.”

There were shared glances amongst those chosen, with Hana and Lucio by far being the most excited to finally being put on an important mission. Zenyatta’s expression was unchanged, of course, but somehow he looked just as giddy to be chosen. Hanzo took note of Genji glancing at Zenyatta and dare he say that his brother actually looked…worried?

“Guess we’re together again.” Jesse tipped his hat towards Hanzo and grinned. “Promise I’ll have your back if you got mine.”

Hanzo rose an eyebrow, but smirked. “I suppose _someone_ has to watch out for you, otherwise you might just end up getting yourself killed.”

They shared a laugh, and both of them failed to notice Genji smiling to himself beside them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last week of school before spring break, meaning projects projects projects! Better than midterm tests, in any case, but god is it time-consuming. The woes of being an art student ;-;  
> Anyways, I'm so happy that these two morons finally got their shit together, because I've been dying to write some cute stuff for the longest time. But don't worry, I'm not done with the angst for them just yet :')  
> And who could this mysterious hacker be...? Gee, I just have no idea! (hint hint)  
> Next chapter will introduce said hacker, and everyone's favorite edgelord. Hope you enjoyed reading so far!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ghost appears, and conflict arises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay! Finals were rough, and then writer's block began to set in so for that I am sorry...but I got a surge of inspiration after coming back from Anime Expo, so here's an update at last! I hope you all enjoy it!

“Watchpoint: Manhattan. Such a stark, desolate place…even in in its prime it was used mostly for storage both physical and digital. Just what sort of mysterious databases are being stored in this abandoned place—“

“Get on with it already, Sombra.” A low growl emanated through Sombra’s comm.

Sombra rolled her eyes as she stared up at the large computer monitor, cracks in the screen and worn from years of disuse. “Aw, way to ruin my fun. Anyone ever tell you you’re a joy to have at parties? Probably not.”

“If you don’t start the data extraction _right now_ —“

“Alright, alright I’m on it. Geez, Reaps, you sure know a way to a woman’s heart.” Sombra twirled a lock of her purple hair through her fingers before beginning the hacking process. With a swift flick of her nail on a holographic screen, she sent thousands of nanites heavily modified for hacking purposes into the defunct computers; they were hungry for information, effectively seeking out any files left from the old days.

Sombra sighed. “You’re somewhere in this disgusting building, aren’t you? A little help would be appreciated.”

Right on cue, a stream of thick black smoke wafted into the room from the air vent, materializing into a man clad in a black cloak and white mask reminiscent of a barn owl. “I’m sure you can figure out how to do this yourself with that brain of yours. Just follow the plan for once.” Reaper growled as he searched through the physical documents that were littered across the floor.

‘ _Just like Overwatch to be so irresponsible and leave so much information for me to look through.’_ Reaper chuckled as he picked up various papers, some listing former Overwatch agents, while others were a list of safehouses and minor bases all around the world. If he recalled correctly, this watchpoint was the first to be put out of commission due to infrequent use while at the same time wasting precious dollars from the government’s pocket. It shut down even before things went straight to shit in Zurich. Which means, there should be specific information about…

“Found you…” Reaper chuckled darkly behind the mask as he held up a file with a number on it: 0183. The number itself is unimportant; what he’s really after, is the person inside the file. Like a ghost in the wind, just like himself, but far more mysterious.

“Not to burst your bubble or anything, _Búho_ , but I just picked up an unauthorized ship in route to this location, estimated ETA is twenty minutes.” Sombra clicked her tongue as she continued to swipe through data. “Data is still being processed, progress at 79%.”

“Tch.” Reaper stood up with the file of interest safely tucked away in his coat. “Don’t leave this room until everything has been downloaded. I’m going to welcome our guests.” He dissolved into smoke and drifted out of the room.

Sombra stared at the computer screen and watched as the downloading bar slowly crept its way up to the 100% mark. “Not like I have anything better to do.”

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As the airship flew into New York airspace, Hanzo couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. He gripped the armrests of his seat with more force than necessary. He was never too keen on flying; he would much rather take the extra time to stow away on a ship, or travel by foot if necessary. He felt much more safe and secure when his feet were grounded, and being on a plane or technologically advanced airship was anything but.

“You need to learn to chill, Hanzo!” Lucio shouted from—dear god, Hanzo just realized there was a _basketball hoop_ in this steel death trap. “C’mon just breathe. I got my music pumpin’ right now, just listen and you’ll be fine!”

Hanzo grimaced at the mere thought of being lectured by someone much younger than he was. Jesse couldn’t help but chuckle from his seat next to the archer, which earned him a harsh glare.

“May I suggest something more…tranquil?” Zenyatta placed an orb in Hanzo’s vicinity, and instantly he felt more calm and resolute. It was almost…soothing. “It isn’t a permanent solution, but one that I hope will ease your stress.”

Hanzo glanced at the floating orb, and with a stiff nod, he thanked the omnic monk. He was still on edge whenever Zenyatta was around him, but at the very least he was beginning to understand how the omnic before him was the one to calm whatever demons Genji was going through during…those awful times. Times that Genji wouldn’t have had to experience if it weren’t for him.

“You doin’ alright there?”

The sound of Jesse’s concerned voice shook Hanzo out of his thoughts. “…I’m fine.”

“You sure don’t look fine to me—“

“Well how do you suppose I should look then?” Hanzo snapped back.

Jesse stared at him for a moment before sighing. “…Nothin’.”

Hanzo scoffed before looking out the window of the aircraft. “How long before we land?”

“Should be about ten minutes.” Hana stated as she attempted to block a shot Lucio was trying to make. “Don’t worry, Han, we’ll be on solid ground in no—HEY, that’s cheating! You can’t wallride like that!”

Lucio just laughed as he slam dunked the ball. “I win!”

Hana grumbled as she crossed her arms. “You’re lucky I’m not allowed to use my meka in here.”

“Aw c’mon, Hana, I was just having fun. We’ll play a real game on a real court when we get back.” Lucio tossed the ball in her direction, which caused her to flinch but she still caught it nonetheless.

Jesse whistled in their direction. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, best remember that next time, eh Lucio?”

Lucio gulped as he noticed Hana’s expression turned devilish. “I like the way the old man thinks!”

“Who you callin’ old!” Jesse hollered, but stopped when the airship hit a patch of turbulence. Hana and Lucio held onto the walls of the ship, Zenyatta was able to keep himself afloat, while Hanzo’s hands were as white as sheets from holding onto the armrests for dear life.

Athena’s crisp voice came up on the intercom. “We will be arriving at Watchpoint: Manhattan momentarily.”

Hanzo let out a breath of relief he didn’t realize he was holding, and once the aircraft finally landed, he grabbed his Storm and followed the rest of the agents out. There was no way he would admit that he was feeling stressed out from flying of all things.

“Meka activated!” Hana had her meka unloaded from the cargo hold and crawled in, ready to do battle. Lucio was right beside her and they fist bumped before he turned up the volume on his amp.

“Gotta admit, never seen New York before. Think we’ll run into celebrities?” Lucio commented while everyone else was getting their supplies ready for reconnaissance. If possible, they were hoping to avoid a conflict during this mission, but that didn’t stop Hanzo from bringing his bow along and a stocked up on arrows.

Jesse took a long swig of his cigarillo. “We ain’t here on vacation, Lucio, but I reckon we’ll see some interesting characters.” He spun Peacekeeper in his hand and holstered it just as quick.

Their aircraft landed a few feet away from Watchpoint: Manhattan. There wasn’t a soul in sight besides their own, which felt almost eerie to see an Overwatch building now defunct and falling apart in disarray.

Jesse whistled. “Reminds me of those old movies with the dinosaurs in ‘em. Anyone seen Jurassic Park?”

Hana laughed, her voice slightly distorted from being inside her meka. “You’re such an old man!”

“Ain’t no such thing as bein’ too old to watch the classics!” Jesse huffed as he slightly nudged Hanzo with his elbow. “You understand, don’t ya?”

Hanzo merely rolled his eyes and walked off the aircraft, not even giving Jesse an answer. He was still having a hard time believing that he was actually a part of Overwatch; he came to Gibraltar to collect on a bounty, and now here he was: on the same team as his intended target, as well as his brother who he believed no amount of redemption could atone for what he had done. No one knew it, but the amount of conflict within Hanzo’s heart was making him slowly suffer, like it was suffocating him. He couldn’t handle socialization; he wasn’t used to it.

Jesse sighed and breathed out a cloud of smoke. The smell of tobacco wafted through the air. “How has no one here heard of Jurassic Park. A real crime, if I’d done see one.”

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.

.

The inside of the watchpoint was in even worse shape than the outside; overgrowth of foliage creeping up the walls and through the many cracks in concrete, papers and omnic parts littered the floor, and the strong scent of rusted metal and dirt filled their nostrils. It caused Lucio to recoil for a moment, and Jesse to distract himself with the scent of tobacco coming from his cigarillo. Hanzo was more or less used to unsavory smells, while Hana and Zenyatta weren’t even affected by it for…more obvious reasons. They opted to split up into two groups in the hopes of covering more ground. Hanzo and Zenyatta split off in one, while Hana, Lucio, and Jesse split off in another.

Winston had informed them that someone was trying to obtain information from the main room, which would have been in the center of the building. Hanzo and Zenyatta took the high ground, while the other three surveyed the ground floor.

“This place is like a maze compared to Gibraltar, and that’s sayin’ somethin’.” Jesse muttered through his comm. “No wonder this place shut down a while back. Need a map just to get through it.”

“Maybe you just lack any sense of direction, cowboy.” Hanzo scoffed, which caused Hana and Lucio to laugh.

Jesse groaned. “I’m tryin’ to look cool for the young folks and you just had to ruin it.”

“You’ll always be cool.” Hana giggled. “You’re like the weird uncle who gives the kids presents every visit.”

Jesse almost grinned in thanks, before scowling at the girl in the meka right next to him. “Nice try.”

Hana pouted, and Lucio tried to keep his voice down from laughing so hard. “Almost had you, too.”

“I hate to interrupt—“ Zenyatta started. “But I believe that we are not alone. I’m sensing an ominous disturbance closing in at a rapid pace.”

That sent a wave of caution throughout Jesse’s group. Hanzo had sensed the same feeling, but wasn’t sure what it was exactly. Still, he had readied his bow and his eyes darted in all directions. “McCree. There’s something closing in on your group. I do not have a clear visual.”

Jesse cursed to himself. “We got company, fellas.”

All of a sudden, a thick wave of black smoke circled around Jesse. “What in tarnation—“ As he reached for his gun, the smoke materialized into a figure; almost like a ghost…a ghost in a white mask.

“So this is who Overwatch sends.” The figure’s voice is haunting. “Two young kids…” The mask turns to Jesse, and for a moment it he thought the figure was actually _smirking_. “…And an ingrate.”

Jesse growled and pulled out Peacekeeper. The figure in turn, pulled out two gigantic shotguns; it caused Jesse’s heart to almost stop. He knew someone with weapons just like those; someone he knew was dead, and yet he couldn’t stop the familiar, horrifying thought to cloud his mind. “Who are you and why are you here.”

The figure laughed darkly. Hana had her guns trained on the ghost; Lucio was in a defensive stance, hand hovering over his amplifier to be ready to switch the music to whatever was immediately needed.

“Looking for some information.” The figure’s raspy voice cut like a knife. “I would share with you, but I do not plan on letting you three out alive.” One of his shotguns was trained point-blank at Jesse’s forehead. Jesse didn’t flinch. “You seem to have gotten better at keeping your cool.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about me!” Jesse yelled. “Never even met you a day in my life!”

“I know more than you think, _vaquero_.” The figure laughed, and Jesse’s complexion went as white as a sheet. But before he could say anything, the figure clicked his shotgun, getting ready to fire.

“Boosters engaged!” Hana dashed at the figure, effectively causing him to back off and lose his aim momentarily. Lucio wall-rode towards the figure and blasted him with a loud boom from his amp. The figure cursed and turned back into a cloud of smoke. It sent an uneasy chill throughout the group; while in that form, no one could do a thing but wait. It materialized behind Jesse in the blink of an eye, before anyone could react. The figure grabbed him in a choke-hold, shotgun poking at Jesse’s lower back; the part that wasn’t protected by his chest armor. “Don’t move, ingrate. Wouldn’t want me to accidentally shoot you.” The figure seethed.

Jesse scoffed. “I’ve seen scarier things than you in my food. You ain’t exactly threatenin’.”

“Want to test me?” The figure’s gun pushed further into Jesse’s skin. Jesse still made no effort in moving. Lucio glared at the assailant, but made no sudden movements of his own. Saving Jesse was more important than getting the surprise on the enemy. Hana, on the other hand, was staring with a concentrated scowl on her face, his eyes occasionally glancing to the right where her comm was located. “You still have trouble keeping your gun straight after recoil?”

Jesse’s eyes widened for a split second. No. No it couldn’t be. He refused to believe it, even after memories of the past began to seep through. “Are you—“

Before he could finish, the figure tightened his arm around Jesse’s neck, causing him to gasp. “I see no reason to admit anything. You’ll be dead in a few seconds.” Jesse could hear another click from the shotgun, and for the first time in his life, he felt a pang of fear in his heart. But the shot never came.

Like the tune of a song, an arrow whistled through the air and pierced the figure in the left shoulder. The figure hissed and let go of Jesse, causing him to fall to his knees and gasp for air. Lucio was at his side in a heartbeat and upped the volume. “You alright?!”

Jesse gasped once more and nodded, looked up in the direction the arrow came from to see Hanzo with his bow still trained, kneeling on the ledge of a rounded window. He could hear the man’s voice through the comm, a voice that Jesse thought was like an angel’s. “I’ve got your back, McCree.”

An orb appeared floating near Jesse. “Peace be upon you, friend.” Zenyatta floated next to Hana, who was grinning.

“Nice shot, Hawkeye!”

Hanzo rose an eyebrow at the reference, but his form never faltered. His glare remained on the figure, who had pulled out the arrow with no amount of finesse. Only an idiot would do something so reckless, Hanzo thought. Pulling out an arrow from flesh like that was just asking to bleed out; and yet, no blood was present.

The figure glared in Hanzo’s direction. “I see…the once-prideful heir to the Shimada Clan is now in the hands of Overwatch. Just like his good-for-nothing brother.”

“Shut it.” Jesse stood up from the floor and pointed his gun at the figure. “There’s no way you’re him, so why do you know so much. Answer me!”

The others were confused as to what had gotten the usually calm and collected Jesse McCree to suddenly lose his cool. None of them knew of his past; they had no clue at all.

They could hear a blinking noise, followed by the sound of crackling. All of a sudden, a purplish glow appeared from the figure’s cloak. “Tch…” He dropped something on the ground, which put the Overwatch members on edge. In the blink of an eye, a woman emerged from the beacon, as if she was digitized.

“The data extraction is complete, Reaps.” The woman then glanced at the others. “…Oh, we have company?” Her eyes fell upon Jesse. “…Aww, a family reunion! How touching, Reaper.”

‘Reaper’ outright growled with frustration. “You sure everything downloaded?”

The woman rolled her eyes. “Of course; I never do a bad hack. We shouldn’t linger around here for long.” She tapped her ear, and Reaper nodded with understanding. He then looked back at the group in front of him. “You always were reckless, _vaquero_. How will you explain to the good doctor where you got your injuries?”

“The hell do you mean—“ Jesse lowering his gun for a split second was his one mistake; a loud shot rang out, and Jesse’s eyes widened as he looked down at his torso and saw blood. Reaper’s shotgun was smoking, and a terrible laugh echoed throughout the base. Jesse fell to his knees, and collapsed.

“McCree!” Hana and Lucio rushed to aid him. Lucio checked his vitals and grimaced. “This isn’t good, we need to get him out of here!” Jesse’s breathing was heavy and his face was contorted in pain. Blood was pouring out of the wound in his lower abdomen.

Hanzo glared at the two enemies and let an arrow fly; the arrow flew past the two, but scattered in a dozen smaller projectiles. Four of which pierced Reaper’s back and leg. The woman was unharmed.

“Damn it…” Reaper glared at the woman. “Sombra, we have what we need. We’re getting of here.”

Sombra smirked. “I always leave a back door.” She then tapped her ear again. “Widowmaker, now!”

A loud blast riddled through the walls of the facility. The walls rumbled, and debris was falling from the ceiling. Hanzo spread his legs further apart in order to keep himself from falling over; it was like an earthquake, and immediately he knew what had just happened. The assailants must have rigged the place with explosives to hide their tracks. And they were now caught in the middle of it.

Sombra waved at them. “ _Adios.”_ And disappeared into thin air once again. Reaper cursed to himself and turned into smoke, a large piece of falling debris going through his intangible body as he wafted out of the room. There was no point in going after them; right now, their first priority was getting out of there and attending to Jesse’s injuries.

Hanzo removed the sash around his waist. “Lucio, lift up McCree’s body; be careful not to rattle him too much.”

Lucio did as he was told, while Hana used her meka to shield them from any debris. “We need to get out of here!”

Hanzo tied the sash around Jesse’s torso tightly. “We need to still the bleeding; he will die before we escape if we don’t.”

Hana and Lucio didn’t know how Hanzo could remain so calm in this type of situation. Even Hana, who once fought in the Korean army, got more than a little emotional at the sight of a friend who was on the verge of death. Maybe it was how Hanzo was brought up that kept his head cool.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, however, Hanzo’s brain was in overdrive and his heart was aching. He refused to let another person he befriended, however brittle that connection was, to die under his watch. Never again. His thoughts shifted to Genji’s smiling face for a moment before he bit his lip. Jesse’s breathing grew heavier. “I’ll carry him out—“

A larger explosion went off overhead, and the entire ceiling was coming down. There was no way to escape that in time; were they going to die there? Hana attempted to break up the debris but it was falling too fast. They were going to be crushed like bugs.

A bright light engulfed the entire room. As the debris crashed to the ground, everyone was shocked to find that they were still in one piece, as if the explosion never went off. As Hanzo glanced to the side, he saw Zenyatta in a transcendent state; arms spread out around him as he emitted a light as strong as the sun. Once the area around them grew silent to signal the end of the explosions, the light dimmed and disappeared altogether.

“Might I suggest we leave now, instead of staring in awe…?” Zenyatta suggested. Hana and Lucio snapped out of their gazing; Hana boosted her meka to fly out of the building remains, while Lucio switched to a speed boost. “Ready when you are, Hawkeye!”

Hanzo didn’t have time to retort that nickname, instead carrying Jesse bridal-style and dashed on out of there with the help of Lucio. Zenyatta rode the speed boost as well, floating right behind both of them.

“McCree…you need to stay awake.” Hanzo hissed out. Jesse’s eyes were pinched together in pain.

“H..Han…”

“Still your tongue.” Hanzo scolded. “Save your energy.”

That was the last thing Jesse heard before losing consciousness.

Meanwhile…

“That was reckless, Sombra.” Reaper growled out as he radioed in for a helicopter to pick them up.

Sombra snickered. “Aww, did that bring up old memories, _Búho_?”

Reaper glared from under his mask at her, but gave no answer. A tall woman with long hair and purple skin landed beside them from her spot in a tree. “You are both lucky that you have some means of escaping.” Her voice was cold as ice. “That took much longer than necessary. You were told explicitly told to only destroy any information that Overwatch had gathered regarding Talon.”

“You’re just sad that we got to see more action.” Sombra checked over her augmented nails. “Besides—“

“Shut your mouth, Sombra.” Reaper growled as he pulled out a file from his coat.

Sombra tried to look over his shoulder, but he shoved her back. “Oh come on, I still haven’t seen what it is you found in there!”

Reaper ignored her as he opened up the file. Smoke emerged from underneath the mask, the only sign that he was actually grinning from ear to ear. Sombra had only seen that happen whenever Reaper was on a killing spree.

She managed to take a peek inside the file and saw a picture within it. It was a small photo of a young woman with long black hair and dark skin. She was wearing a blue uniform from Overwatch’s peak days; a black insignia of some sort was underneath her left eye. There were more papers underneath the photo, but Sombra couldn’t get a good look before Reaper closed the file.

“I found you at last…Ana…”

**Author's Note:**

> As a Hanzo main, let me tell you that a Winston flying at you is the most annoying thing ever. You literally can't do anything except wait for the sweet embrace of death.  
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
